Wrapping-paper-serving apparatus



R. L. WELCH. WRAPPING PAPER SERVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION men JUNE 25.1917.'

1,358,904, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Ar an/or lC/G' Z ziaer/ z. We/ A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. VJ'ELOH, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

WRAPPING-PAPER-SERVING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT L. WnLoH, a subject of the King of Great 'Britain, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful improvements in \Vrapping-Paper- Serving Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in wrapping paper printing and serving apparatus, and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will be clustproof, and therefore preserve the printing device from clogging with accumulations of dust and also preserve the paper itself in sanitary condition free from dust.

A further object is to provide a device which will be durable in construction and handsome in appearance, and will at the same time render the withdrawing and tearing off of paper easier and more accurate than is the case with the serving rolls ordinarily used.

A still further object is to provide a tearing oil knife which will be rigid during the tearing off operation, but will be movable to permit the operator easy access to the end of the ribbon of paper.

The device consists essentially of a cabinet containing a roll paper holding and printing mechanism movably mounted therein on running wheels. The front of the cabinet can be removed for the insertion of fresh rolls and to permit thewithdrawal of the mechanism for inspection. The front is preferably provided with one or more trans parent panels through which the paper rolls and mechanism can be viewed, and also with slits through which the paper emerges. A tearing-off knife is pivotally mounted adjacent each slit, and is spaced from the front of the cabinet, so that a sufficient length of paper projects from the cabinet after each tearing-off operation to give the operator a good grasp of the end when pulling out the next piece of paper. This tearing-off knife is swing-pressed against stops, which hold it rigid during the tearing-off operation, but permit the knife to yield and expose the projecting end of the paper.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 16, 1920 Application filed. June 25, 1917.

Serial No. 176,855.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section illustrating the spring mounting of the tearing-oif knives. 2

Referring more particularly to the drawings, ll designates a cabinet or case of suitable construction having the front 12 thereof formed separate and removable. A paper holding and printing device 18 is mounted in the cabinet on running wheels 14, so that 1t may be withdrawn from the cabinet on the removal of the front.

The front consists'of a plate 15 of metal or other suitable material having transparent panels 16 therein through which the mechanism 13 may be viewed. Slots 17 are provided in the front in number and position according to the number and position of paper rolls accommodated by the cabinet. Behind each of these slots, a pair of rolls 18 are mounted on the front, the bearings of one roll being rigid, while the bearings 19 of the other roll are movable, and the roll urged by springs 20 toward the fixedly mounted roll. These rolls are preferably faced with rubber or other suitable material, so as to have a good grip on the paper which passes between them to the slot 17.

On the outer side of the casing, a tearingofi' knife 21 is pivotally mounted adjacent each slot, thelower edges of the knives being approximately in the same horizontal plane as the slots. These knives are mounted by means of brackets 22 secured to the front 12 and provided with pins 23, which engage in lugs 2% carried by the stiff knife back 25. Each lug 24 and the portion of bracket 22 carrying the pin 28 is hollowed out to larger diameter than the pin through part of their lengths, as shown in Fig. 3, and a helical spring 26 mounted in the recess, thus formed, surrounding each pin 23. One end of each spring is secured to a bracket and the opposite end to a boss, by passing the ends of the springs through apertures 27 provided in the bracket and boss. It will thus be seen that the spring tends. to rotate the knife around its axis of support in one direction and to resist rotation of the knife in the opposite direction. Stops 28 are provided on the front 12 to limit the movement of the knife edge away from the front under influence of the springs. The front 12 may be provided with handles 29 at each side to facilitate the drawing out operation. A lock 30 may be provided in any suitable place in. order to prevent unauthorized per" ing spring pressed are undersuflicient load to p' reventtheir easy rotation, so that once a length'of paper has been drawn out and torn off, the rolls will hold the end'against running back into the cabinet, and will, also m'aintainthe paper in'proper tensionbetween themselves :and the printing mechanism. YThe tearing-oh? knivesare held at an angle calculated to produce the best tearingofi effect, 'and 'itwill be understood that while the knives are-shown inthe drawings asin'a'vertical plane, they are not limited to such disposition. 'The angle of the knives is regulated by the stops28 against which the'knives are held by their springs 26' T he stops being on the opposite side of the ax-is of support from the cutting edge of the knives, it will'be apparent that when the paper is drawn-outand' torn of against the knives that the knives will be held rigid withtheir lower edges spaced a suitable TCllStZtIlCQ from the'front 12, as clearly shown. When it is desired to tear off the next length of paper,the operator naturally advances his hand withfi'ngers disposed to grasp the paperbetween them. fhe uppermost finger comes in contact withthe' knife adjacent its cutting edge and drives it back toward the casing,'thusexposing a projecting portion of the paper which can be easily and conveniently grasped. as soon as the pressure against the knifeis released, it is returned by its springs to the proper tearing off position.

The-rigidity of the knives in tearing ofiis off-great advantage overthe existing forms oftearing=off knife,'which for the most part press bygravity or mechanical means directly-on the'roll, and therefore yield to a certain extent to thetension ofthe'paper in tearing. *The pressure of the knife is "usuallya'll' that'holds the-roll from free rotation, and therefore when the knife yields, it fully or partially releases the roll, so that the paper'unwinds'during tearing, with the zresultthatthe tear, in place of extending square i across the strip is at I an angle or 'YCL'II'VG,"OI' as occurs -inmany cases,'thejte ar runssquareacrossfor a part of the dis- :tance: and then makes a sudden turn, form- ,ing auprojecting'tongue at one edge of the paper. giflurthermore, with "the ordinary tearing ofl "means, the end ofthe strip is completely covered by the knife, so that to get-attheend in orderto pull off a fresh length, it is necessary to manually rotate the'roll. According to this invention, the

paper is held against movement by means entirely ,1ndepcndent of the tearing-off the tearing operation. These features result 7 in every tear ,being square across the sheet for the entire width, The mountlng of the tearing-0H knives'remote from the roll also permits theknivesto retreat andeizpose a portion oftheend of the paper to the operators grasp, thus greatly expediting the removal of paper. Such an arrangement is not possible with the tearing-off knife in contact withthemll, as is ordinarily the case.

"From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that in addition to vproviding a cabinet of attractive appearance, which protects the paper and printing mechanism from dust and other foreign matter, the invention facilitates the removal of paperrand provides ,for absolute accuracy in tearing off, thus eliminating Waste.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimis zlfln a 'paper holding device, a cabinet including a removable 'front'closure plate, a

paper holding rack movably mounted within the cabinet, said fron't'plate having openings for the egress of paper, and individual tearing-off knives for. said openingspositioned to determinethe tearing-off line, some distance fromthe cabinet" front, said knives being movable clear of the'paper to expose paper projectingibeyon'd the cabinetfront.

2. In a 'paper holding device, a plate hav- 'ing an opening'thereinjfor. thepassage of 7 paper, apaperttearing offcknife adjacent the opening, brackets pivotally. supporting the knife, "said brackets andv knife having intercommunicating recesses,-and springs in said recesses ;each having one endfixed. in a bracket and the opposite end in the knife, said springs being flarranged to yieldingly hold the'knife in tearin -off position, whereby the'gknife may be, moved to expose .paper projecting throughjt-he plate, openingyand means holding the knife rigid'during tearing-ofi'.

In witness whereof," I" h ave-hereunto set In ,hand. 7

" *RO'B ER'T LFWELCH. 

